Jeremy Leggett's Half Gone would be a captivating
read if it were
fiction. The fact that it is very much based on real life and the
modern world in which we live, DEMANDS that it be read.
In Half Gone the author attempts to open our
eyes to the suicidal
path on which humanity is headed. A well read academic who previuously
consulted for large
OIL corporates, and then jumped ship to become
chief scientist for Greenpeace, Legget´s book tells the story of the
Blue Pearl and its most priveledge inhabitant - Man. More precisely it
chronicles mankinds
addiction to fossil fuels, particularly OIL ;and
the implications for us all if we do not go some way to break the habit.
He first tackles the question of OIL depletion. How much oil is
there out there, how much might there be and when will it run out?
Although clearly holding his own views Leggett sets out in laymans
terms the views of the optimistic "late toppers" and more pessimistic
"early toppers". Regardless of the position one takes, some facts are
indisputable: fossil fuels are a finite resource and their consumption
is projected to increase as the worlds population grows and its energy
requirements increase. Eventually Oil will run out, and we will
need to
secure alternative resources. So how many centuries do we have? Cold.
Decades? Warmer..... Years? Probably. And by the way isn´t it getting
hot in here?
Q: So why haven´t we got a viable plan B ?
A: because we are addicted to OIl and like a true
Addict mankind has been in collective denial.
Oil licks the very fabric of our society and lubricates world
geopolitics. Legget with decades of experience in the industry,
opens our eyes to what should be clear for us to see. He explains how
we became addicted and how our habit, if unchequed, will lead to
economic and environmental disaster.
Yes, you see, even if we had enough oil to keep on going for the next
100 years, which it is unlikely that we do; this ignores the
environmental impact our addiction has had. Global warming - that
crack-pot hypothesis touted by those unreliable tree hugging hippies.
But hang on, melting ice caps and glaciers, recent extremes of weather
across the globe, record hurricanes and an unprecedented level of
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. All against a backdrop of record oil
prices. Just a coincidence?
About as coincidental as a nicotine addict developing a smokers cough.
But what of it, can we like the
smoker go cold turkey? Can we reduce
the risks to those of a non smoker? Nobody knows...but just as with the
smoker it would probably be wise to cut down and if possible stop. Even
then the damage may have been done.
The news is not all gloom though. We have technologies that can help us
dig our way out of this mess. But we need to wake up, we need to
recognise our addiction and do something about it.
To find out what and how read the book. Leggett´s anecdotal style is
informative and engaging. His arguments cogent and at times
unsettling.
Shock tactics rarely help for the smoker. It may not help with our addiction to Oil, but it has opened this readers eyes.
Leggett is not a tree hugging unwashed environmentalist. He is is an
insider who is blowing the whistle on an industry that underpins the
very foundations of the way we live and the way we think. Its time to
wake up. Read this book and form your own opinion. By all means
disagree, but let us not stick our heads in the sand any longer. I only
wish that a problem shared were a problem solved.
More reviews about the Half gone: Oil, Gas, Hot air and the global energy Crisis.